Physics: Momentum

Momentum can be understood by looking at the mass and velocity of an object. Mass is a property of an object that measures the amount of matter in an object. Velocity is the amount of distance an object travels over a given time. It is a vector quantity so directionality is also expressed. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity, also a vector quantity. In practicality, momentum refers to the quantity of motion possessed by an object. The unit of momentum is kilogram-meter per second (kg-m/s).

Momentum: Definition

Momentum is a vector quantity, which is used to describe the motion of an object, and its direction is parallel to the motion of that object.

p = m * v

p ⇒ momentum [kg * m/s], [N * s]
m ⇒ mass [kg]

The Law of Momentum Conservation

The law of momentum conservation states that in an isolated system, which does not have any interaction with its environment, all momentum is constant. So when two objects collide, the total momentum of these two objects before the collision is equal to their total momentum after the collision.

Impulse

Impulse can be defined as the change over time in momentum, caused by an average force. It is defined as follows:

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